Letters to the editor

Getting it wrong on gas pricing

Getting it wrong on gas pricing
Apropos of your edit “Not just gas pricing” (March 16), various factors have blocked progress over the pricing of natural gas in India. Italy’s ENI SpA had bagged the AN-DWN-2003/2 block near the Andaman Islands in 2005. Earlier, UPA was being blamed for policy paralysis but the NDA government has proven to be no different. Consider this: On October 25, 2013, the department of space (DoS) gave its no-objection letter to an explorer. Following this, the petroleum ministry asked the explorer to initiate exploration activities in the block. Then on November 1, 2013, the DoS came up with a ‘range clearance memorandum’ that classifies the block as a ‘danger zone’, which once again prevented the companies from going ahead. On December 23, 2013, the petroleum ministry wrote to the DoS to re-examine the matter, but the latter has not responded. For a country that depends on 80% of its petroleum requirement by imports, the attitude of the government is not at all encouraging investment in this sector.
MM Gurbaxani, Bengaluru

Clean India for a better future
As a part of the prime minister Narendra Modi’s Clean India Mission, i.e., Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, nearly 29,74,455 toilets have been constructed in India till March 4. This is really a very good beginning towards cleanliness, which, as per Mahatma Gandhi, is next to godliness. Undoubtedly, Clean India will attract a huge number of visitors from abroad, particularly from all the Western countries. This will increase tourism tremendously. Consequently, there will be vast opportunities for the Indian youth to become professional guides, tourist vehicle drivers and so many such professionals earning for the many coming decades. Clean India will make India richer, as health problems will fall, impacting productivity positively. This is the most useful way to eradicate poverty as well as encouraging cleanliness in entire India.
Hansraj Bhat, Mumbai